32 dead, over 1-M people displaced by floods in N. Luzon

Thirty-two people were killed in floods in Metro Manila and Northern Luzon that were spawned by heavy rains last week.

Eight other people are presumed dead after being swept by rampaging floodwaters in Northern Luzon.

Six people drowned in Metro Manila during heavy rains last Friday.

As of yesterday, 156,630 families or 795,996 people have been affected by floods in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Bataan, La Union, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Apayao and Benquet.

More than 100 towns and cities went under water or were isolated by landslides following the downpour, civil defense officials said.

Portions of the main north-south Luzon highway were cut off after the Pampanga and Tarlac rivers burst dikes, while landslides blocked key arteries in the Cordilleras.

The body of Reynaldo Balao, 25, who was earlier reported as missing, was recovered in Atok town in Benguet on Saturday morning, said Vicente Tomazar, Office of Civil Defense-Cordillera chief.

Others fatalities were seven-year-old Jessica Tagtag of Kibungan town, in Benguet, Lorenzo Damilog of Tinoc town, in Ifugao, and Kayang-ew of Demang, Sadanga town in Mountain Province.

Two others were reported hurt by landslides in Abra: Benafrada de Jesus and Hanna Joy Licyayo of Tinoc, Ifugao.

Reported missing since Tuesday morning is 44-year-old Gloria de Silva who is believed to have drowned in Tuba town, Benguet. Some 85 families, 79 of whom are from Abra province, are are now seeking shelter in various evacuation centers.

At least 37 houses were totally damaged, mostly in Benguet.

Tomazar said damage to agriculture is estimated to have reached P90 million, mostly in Abra and Benguet.

"This may still rise as reports from other provinces had not reached us," he said.

The government lost some P85 million in national and local infrastructure installations like bridges and roads, he added.

Only one lane of the Marcos Highway and Naguilian Road remains open to vehicular traffic as of Sunday morning.

Although still passable, Kennon Road was closed earlier due to government policy to close the historic road during downpours to avoid unnecessary vehicular accidents.

Tomazar said the Halsema Highway was intermittently opened and closed to vehicles after heavy rains caused land and mudslides at the Gonogon, Sabangan and Bontoc sections.

Clearing operations are continuously being conducted by a team dispatched by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Landslides have also made unpassable the Mountain Province-Ilocos Sur Road, the Abatan-Buguias-Kabayan Road, the Abra-Kalinga Road, the Talubin-Natonin-Barlig-Paracelis Road, the Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan Road, the Banaue-Bontoc Road, the Baguio-Bua-Itogon Road, the Benguet side of the Baguio-Bontoc Road, the Itogon-Dalupirip Road and the Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road.

Civil defense officials said 1.12 million people out of the national population of 84 million received relief assistance worth P7.96 million.

Of that number, more than 6,000 lost their homes and sought refuge at government-run evacuation centers.

Although the heavy rains have stopped and floods are receding, Red Cross spokeswoman Tess Usapdin said the affected population would need a week more of food and medical support before things could return to normal.

In Central Luzon, 559,652 people from at least 563 flooded barangays have been taken to evacuation centers to receive assistance.

The Office of Civil Defense has distributed 800 sacks of rice worth P686,100 to flooded areas in Pangasinan, and P21,360 worth of sardines and noodles in Cainta, Rizal. — Artemio Dumlao, Jaime Laude, Christina Mendez, AFP